This relates generally to imaging devices, and more particularly, to imaging devices having pixel arrays with high scan rate capabilities.
Image sensors are commonly used in electronic devices such as cellular telephones, cameras, and computers to capture images. In a typical arrangement, an electronic device is provided with an array of image pixels arranged in pixel rows and pixel columns. Row control circuitry is coupled to each pixel row and column readout circuitry is coupled to each pixel column for reading out image data from the array.
Many conventional image sensors capture image data using a rolling shutter scheme in which pixels in different rows of the array begin integrating charge at different times. When using a rolling shutter scheme, offsets in the time between integration periods for different rows of the array can generate undesirable rolling shutter artifacts in the final image, in which objects in the imaged scene that move during image data readout are distorted. In some scenarios, image sensors use a global shutter scheme to integrate charge using all pixels in the array at the same time. However, use of a global shutter scheme can require significant device process complexity, can undesirably reduce sensitivity, reduce pixel charge storage capacity, increase read noise, and increase dark current relative to sensors that perform image capture using a rolling shutter scheme.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide imaging devices with improved means of capturing and processing image signals.